The term CEO is not just for executives anymore.
A team comprised of Ferris students, Shirish Grover, the faculty advisor, and Dean Donald Green is forming Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO) on campus.
The group has national recognition, but has not yet been approved by Ferris State University. Kristen Dzikowicz, a senior in business administration and the president of CEO, is hoping to change that.
“Our mission is to inform, support, and inspire FSU students to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunities through enterprise creation,” said Dzikowicz.
She went on to say that she hopes to start her own business one day and hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams as well.
“The great thing about CEO is that it’s open to all majors and programs and there is no GPA requirement. We are hoping to get a real dynamic group,” said Dzikowicz.
Dzikowicz said the group is being started in response to the new Entrepreneur Institute that will hopefully be launched next spring.
“We currently have seven members, but we are looking to recruit 30 members,” said Dzikowicz.
The first 30 members are free for a year. After one year the annual dues for this organization are $10.
Dzikowicz said the best thing about CEO was “the networking opportunities that I will gain from the organization.”
“Donald Green, the dean of the college of business and technological studies who is a part of the team, likes to tell us that, ‘it’s all about ownership versus loanership,’” said Dzikowicz. “We spend all these years studying at college and we go into the world and loan our ideas out to our bosses, while instead we could own our ideas and use them to our own benefit.”
Dzikowicz is also excited about the elevator pitch competition and the video completion, which will be going on during Global Entrepreneur Week. Cash prizes will be provided to the first place winners. The elevator pitch winner will receive $500 and the video winner will receive $250.
Anyone interested in the Global Entrepreneur Week or the CEO organization can attend informational meetings on Oct. 4, 5, and 7 from 5-7 p.m. in IRC 104. Questions can be sent to Dzikowicz.